Kenya is all set after the government paid Ksh1.6 billion to secure hosting rights for the upcoming Africa Nations Championship (CHAN).
This follows an announcement made by Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya after he appeared before the National Assembly Committee on Sports.
Initially, there were fears that the country could miss the hosting rights after reports emerged that the government had delayed paying the requisite fee to the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
With the games set to begin in August this year, after suffering an earlier setback, Mvurya told the Committee during a meeting at Bunge Towers on Tuesday that the payment confirms the government's commitment to hosting the championship.
"The government is committed to meeting the financial obligations to CAF to guarantee eligibility as hosts. To this end, a payment of Ksh1.6 billion was made to CAF as per the terms that were agreed on," stated Mvurya.
While appearing before the Committee to inform the lawmakers on Kenya's preparedness to host CHAN, the CS stated that the payment of the funds was a major step towards preparations for the football bonanza.
According to the CS, Kenya met the condition after the Treasury released the funds to the Ministry, which was under pressure over the delay in paying the amount.
Kenya will now embark on finalising the last preparations to co-host the matches with its East African counterparts, Uganda and Tanzania.
The developments will additionally pave the way for Kenya to host the Pamoja bid of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which will also be co-hosted with the East African neighbours.
"These tournaments represent a historic milestone for Kenya, demonstrating our commitment to sports excellence, infrastructural development, and advancement of Kenya in the continental football space," Mvurya told the lawmakers.
Talanta Sports City and the Moi Sports Centre in Nairobi's Kasarani estate will host the CHAN competitions.
Meanwhile, Nyayo, Ulinzi, and Police Sacco stadiums will be used as training venues for teams featuring in CHAN.
